The next few days were the worst for her. Hinata was strictly on bed rest and getting sicker. They posted someone at the door to make sure she could call for help if she needed it. She hoped she would get better before he got back, but the sheer unknowing if her child would even have a father by the time it was born was eating her alive and not helping her health. She understood now why nin parents often retired shortly after having their children. Those who didn't usually made their children orphans.

Temari stayed behind as acting Kage, the council was furious to know why, and Baki was stalling. They were both keeping them away from her as long as they could. Should they finally tell them? Hinata was hoping that she could at least wait until Gaara got back. She wasn't sure how well she could fight a battle with them in her state. They would use it against her in his absence, and it wouldn't be good for her health to battle them herself.

"Hinata." Matsuri came in. Her face told her she had good news. "Word just got back, the war is over, and Gaara is okay."

Hinata waited for a 'but.' "And?"

"He has Shukaku," Matsuri was unsure of how she would react.

Shukaku? Hinata was so tied up in her pregnancy. She hadn't had time to think about him. What did they do to him? What would he do to Gaara?

"They should be home within a day or two. Gaara's having trouble adjusting to the demon, so they are taking their time returning." Matsuri explained. "I talked to the council today, and I had to say that you have fallen ill, and it's a Hyuga matter, so I have no information for them. They were not happy."

Hinata rested her head back and rubbed her belly gingerly. "It would be a lot easier if this was not all happening at once."

Hinata woke up in severe pain. She panted, holding tightly around her abdomen. She let out a scream of pain as another wave came. She realized she was soaked. Her water had broken. The door burst open as her assigned nin headed in.

"I need to get to the hospital… Get Temari-chan." Hinata scrunched her eyes together as another pain. "Tell her I'm going into labor."

"Labor? You're pregnant?"

"Get Temari!" Hinata barked as another wave of pain came.

He flinched, running back out the door as she sat up and found clothes.

Temari and Matsuri got her to the hospital in record time. Temari practically carried her while Matsuri sent for her Hyuga medic.

The medic tried to stop the contractions, but they started as soon as they were calmed. "He's going to have to come out today, Hinata-sama." Hinata rested her head back, sighing painfully.

"Can he come out now? Doesn't she have a few months left?" Matsuri asked.

"He's going to be small. It lowers his survival rate, but he will have a chance. However, if we try to force him to stop now, he won't." She promised.

"Gaara was small. He was premature," Temari added. Hinata wasn't sure if that was just a spoken memory or if it was an attempt to make the situation sound less dire.

Hinata was in labor for several hours. The sun came up, and her contractions were still not close enough together to start pushing. After the first few hours, Hinata was getting used to the pattern and rhythm of being in pain every few minutes.

"You're doing well, Hinata-sama." The medic soothed. "You have your mother's pain tolerance."

"Let's hope it doesn't end the same way," Hinata mumbled. The two girls gaped at her.

"Sorry, that was dark." Hinata was surprised at herself.

"You would be surprised how common dark humor is in labor." The medic excused.

"Temari-sama." Someone said from the door. "The Kage is at the gate."

"Tell him his wife is in the hospital, and that's where he needed to be now." Temari relayed back. "She is in labor."

"She's pregnant?"

"Now." The nin fled.

Gaara was ragged. His body refused to be comfortable with Shukaku's return. Shukaku was equally discomforted, though he was seemingly content to be back in his more favored vessel. That's what Gaara assumed. He couldn't feel his feelings properly. He couldn't even hear his voice properly in his head. It was like he was far away and shouting, but his voice was being carried away in the wind.

A nin ran up to him, looking confused and urgent. "Kazekage-sama, your… wife is in labor? Your sister needs you at the hospital now."

Gaara's blood ran cold. It was still too early, wasn't it?

'… pregnant?' Shukaku asked. It sounded like a faint echo.

Gaara tried to summon his sand, but it wouldn't listen enough to even form a half-ball. He gave up and took to running, his already tired body. He hoped she was doing better than he was.

Hinata laid back, sweating after the last round of contractions. She was exhausted. This had been happening for hours, and the medic somehow expected her to take naps with her contraction continuing every few minutes.

"Hinata." Gaara stood in the doorway, pale and sweating. Had he run here? Since when does he run?

"Gaara, you should sit down. Are you okay?" Hinata sat up more to see him.

"You're in labor?" Gaara asked.

"That was news 8 hours ago, sit." Temari forced him down in the chair by Hinata's bedside.

"It's too early." Gaara continued his concern. "You look sick."

"It's late enough that if he survives birth, he should live, but he will have to be in the hospital for a while," Hinata reached out. "Right? Now we are just waiting for him to decide to come out."

Gaara took her hand. "He can do that?"

"In a way…" Hinata wasn't sure how to explain that. "But what about you?"

Gaara frowned. "You shouldn't be worrying…"

"We are so far past that point." Hinata snapped and paused, taking in a contraction. "Sorry, I'm grouchy."

"She has had two hours of sleep and has been having contractions regularly for the last 8 hours. I think she gets to be grouchy." Matsuri corrected her.

Gaara gave her hand a gentle squeeze. His hands were clammy, like he had a fever. "Shukaku and I's chakra are not mingling the way they were before."

"That's what I heard… can you call my medic in?" Temari nodded, stepping out. "I would look, but I can't use up my chakra."

"Your cousin already had a look. He said Shukaku and I aren't mixing like oil and water." Gaara stated. "He was concerned about why you haven't written back. I told him you were mildly ill. He didn't believe me."

Hinata wasn't surprised. "You're not the best at lying, and he doesn't trust anyone when it comes to me…"

The medic confirmed what they feared. "I believe your chakras are fighting each other. He's far stronger than you. He was eating your chakra away. If he's not removed, you will likely lose control of your own body before long."

"Is this a result of the rerouting?" Temari asked.

"It could be, but even then, the beast was ripped out. Even if he was returned, the damage was likely too great to replace him without trouble." She explained. "If you don't remove him to another vessel, you will slowly die."

"Great, all three of us can have a joint funeral," Hinata mumbled. Gaara blinked at her. "I'm sorry, labor gives you a dark sense of humor," Hinata turned red.

"Is there another compatible vessel?" The medic asked.

Temari shrugged. "As far as I know, Kankuro and I aren't compatible. I thought that was why Gaara was chosen."

Hinata squeaked, prompting her full attention. She was writhing back on her bed, arching her back painfully.

After a half-hour of calming her contractions down, the medic concluded if they didn't use chakra to force the birth to start, it would kill both of them.

"She was doing so well a moment ago. How did it get so bad so quickly?" Temari crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself.

"This is not uncommon for premature births." The medic explained. "Anything can happen. You just have to be prepared for the worst."

Gaara rubbed his wife's cold hands. Hinata was pale, looking nearly dead now if it wasn't for her heavily labored breathing.

"I… don't think he's going to make it." The medic whispered to them. "His heartbeat is weak, and his chakra isn't well enough developed. I'm not sure. It will respond to treatment if we force him out. If all goes well, Hinata should be fine, she'll need some hospital time, but she's done way better than expected."

"That… okay." Hinata pressed her lips together sadly.

An uncomfortable pain rushed through Gaara's chest. He was so worried that he would lose her. He hadn't realized it would also hurt to lose the baby alone.

His sand tugged on him, shaking the gourd weakly, and he managed to tip it, drawing everyone's attention. 'Me…' Faintly called in the back of his head. Gaara pressed a hand on the side of his head and tried to focus on Shukaku's distant voice. '..se… me…'

"I can't hear you," Gaara said aloud.

"What?" Hinata asked weakly.

"Shukaku's saying something, but I can't hear him. It's like he's far away." Gaara focused harder.

'… SE… ME!' Shukaku faintly yelled.

"Se… me?" Gaara wondered.

"Is he asking for help?" Hinata pointed to the gourd. "Open it."

Temari popped the cork and dumped some out. They waited for a second as kanji was written into it. 'USE ME'

"Use me? What does that mean?"

The medic head jerked up. "It's possible that the child is compatible."

"No," Gaara answered definitively. "My mother was killed, giving birth to a demon child," Gaara explained. "I can't make that trade."

The room fell silent.

"We can induce the birth first and then move vessels once he's out. If he survives the birth, we can do the transfer." The medic tried to defuse.

Eyes were on Hinata for a decision. Her's were solely on Gaara. "Do you promise me that you'll be kind to him?" Hinata wasn't asking Gaara. Even then, it sounded silly, but her eyes were trained past Gaara's eyes to Shukaku's soul. "You will not treat him like you have Gaara in the past, or I will be very upset."

The sound of dragging sand prompted them to the pile as a tanuki face was drawn poorly with a smile.

Hinata turned back up at Gaara, for Gaara this time. "Maybe he can save our son."

Gaara was torn. He could have his wife and son live but would damn his son to the childhood he suffered. After all, they had been through, even the calm past couple of years could never make Gaara truly trust him, but Hinata trusted Shukaku, and Shukaku trusted Hinata. "Alright."